Ive posted 1 new thread on here last week( the guy from england) but need to ask,Can nerve damage really be seen every time on a MRI scan??

Reason i ask is ive had 2 operations in the last 4 years to trimm L5/S1 same area and still 6 months from last op i have weakness in my left foot,ie weak pulling back or pushing forward,and walk about with aid of a walking stick.
But my consultant says a bit puzzled as nothing showing on MRI scan!!

Is there no 100% definate way of finding out if there is definately nerve damage??

Ive posted 1 new thread on here last week( the guy from england) but need to ask,Can nerve damage really be seen every time on a MRI scan??

Reason i ask is ive had 2 operations in the last 4 years to trimm L5/S1 same area and still 6 months from last op i have weakness in my left foot,ie weak pulling back or pushing forward,and walk about with aid of a walking stick.
But my consultant says a bit puzzled as nothing showing on MRI scan!!

Is there no 100% definate way of finding out if there is definately nerve damage??

bonesey fro england[/QUOTE]

NO... MRI"s do not show nerve damage... You can get a EMG like Jessie1 said... this will give them a better idea if the nerve's are functioning properly ... This will definately answer the question if there is nerve damage or not... That is how I found out that I have nerve damage... Best Luck to you.

if it's sciatica, and the mri doesn't show a disc pinching the nerve, then i know of one option. my dr. and i "fiddled" with my piriformis to see if that was the cause. he placed pressure on my hip (greater trochanter) and i had pain. he then gave my an anesthetic in the piriformis...if i felt better in a few hours, then we would know it was the muscle. sure enough, i felt better. this may not work for you, but i thought i would post this just in case. good luck! cheers.

For yrs and nmerous MRI'S they couldn't find the cause of my lower back. hip/leg pain, after an EMG they found the damage to the S1 nerve,
the test isn't that bad uncomfortable yes but not over-all painful and you don't have any meds for it except any normal meds you are on and it's not extremly long, I had a very good conversation with the neuro while he was conducting the test,
as for if they do it in Eng. I don't know but I would imagine.
Good Luck,
Linda

For an EMG, a needle electrode is inserted through the skin into the muscle. The electrical activity detected by this electrode is displayed on an oscilloscope (and may be displayed audibly through a speaker).

Because skeletal muscles are isolated and often large units, each electrode gives only an average picture of the activity of the selected muscle. Several electrodes may need to be placed at various locations to obtain an accurate study.

After placement of the electrode(s), you may be asked to contract the muscle (for example, by bending your arm). The presence, size, and shape of the wave form -- the action potential -- produced on the oscilloscope provide information about the ability of the muscle to respond when the nerves are stimulated.

Each muscle fiber that contracts will produce an action potential, and the size of the muscle fiber affects the rate (frequency) and size (amplitude) of the action potentials.

An EMG can be quite painful as well....

A nerve conduction velocity test is often done at the same time as an EMG.

A nerve conduction velocity test (NCV), is an electrical test that is used to detect nerve conditions. In this test, the nerve is electrically stimulated while a second electrode detects the electrical impulse 'down stream' from the first. This is usually done with surface patch electrodes (they are similar to those used for an electrocardiogram) that are placed on the skin over the nerve at various locations. One electrode stimulates the nerve with a very mild electrical impulse. The resulting electrical activity is recorded by the other electrodes. The distance between electrodes and the time it takes for electrical impulses to travel between electrodes are used to calculate the speed of impulse transmission (nerve conduction velocity). A decreased speed of transmission indicates nerve disease. A nerve conduction velocity test is often done at the same time as an electromyogram (EMG) in order to exclude or detect muscle conditions.

The NCV test can be used to detect true nerve disorders (such as neuropathy) or conditions whereby muscles are affected by nerve injury (such as carpal tunnel syndrome). Normal body temperature must be maintained for the NCV test, because low body temperatures slow nerve conduction.

You may just want to mention it to your doctor and see what they tell you... as far as whether they do the EMG's there or not....